UPDATE (2/7 1:30 PM): Trade Exemption Delayed

I feel like every time we end up writing about events like this, something related always happens. Just a few moments ago, an executive order was signed that “puts a pause on the closing of the de minimis trade exemption.”

This is great news for many who prefer buying handhelds from AliExpress, but we’re not out of the woods just yet. It’s possible that this is only temporary, as CNBC notes “the mountain of low-value shipments already making their way into the U.S. would suddenly require formal processing.”

Needless to say, this is still a very fluid situation and one we’ll be keeping a close eye on.

With the on-and-off pause of USPS package shipments from China and Hong Kong, and the looming threat of tariffs, a lot of our American viewers are wondering: Is this the end of cheap e-waste? While some companies charge for handhelds AND shipping, a lot of manufacturers and resellers offer free shipping and relatively low prices.

One of the ways they were able to do this was something called the De Minimis Rule. This rule has been part of US trade law since the Great Depression and basically exempted certain international shipments from taxes if they were under a certain monetary threshold.

So now that this loophole is going to be closed, and with the addition of an extra 10% tariff, what does this mean for retro handhelds?

What This Means for Retro Handhelds

Game Console R36H menu screen

Well, if you’re getting expensive x86 devices, not a lot. Anything over $800 was probably already being taxed normally, so big spenders shouldn’t see a ton of extra fees. Any of the lower to higher-end Android and Linux devices might see cost increases though.

The current thinking is that a 25% fee would be imposed by eliminating de minimus, and 10% more with tariffs, so it’d effectively be a 35% increase. We can get an idea of what this might look like by glancing at pretty much every country in Europe and Asia to the VAT.

VAT is a value-added tax, and it is applied to the cost of any imported item, such as a retro handheld. This has been the standard way of doing business in these countries for a while, and, in Europe at least, it averages roughly between 20-25% of the initial cost. So basically, if things hold, American retro handheld enthusiasts will have to start paying the same kind of rates that their Canadian, European, and Asian brethren have had to deal with for a while.

Another wrinkle in the saga is that we don’t know how long this could even last. Both China and America are major trading partners with each other, and there’s a decent chance that all of this is a bunch of posturing, with a return to recent normality coming sooner rather than later. USPS paused package shipments for something like 18 hours before opening them back up again.

Does This Apply to Global Shipping Carriers?

Thankfully, at least in some cases, USPS isn’t the only option when it comes to getting your retro handhelds shipped. Some companies also offer the ability to have your package shipped via DHL or 4PX, and if you’re really lucky, FedEx or UPS might be an option.

If that’s the case, then the tariffs won’t impact your wallet. However, when opting for another shipping method, you usually end up having to pay more anyway. The amount is just dependent on what company you’re buying from, but at least you won’t see a tariff added on top of the higher prices.

What Options Are Left?

Snazzy

It might seem like there’s a lot of doom and gloom surrounding the current situation, and that’s partially true. Some retailers have halted sales to U.S. citizens, as the tariffs are far too impactful for it to make financial sense. However, this doesn’t mean that you still can’t enjoy the e-waste flavor of the week.

Of course, you won’t be able to just walk into Best Buy, Walmart, or even Micro Center and grab whatever Anbernic or Powkiddy releases next. The most obvious place to turn is going to be Amazon, which many have avoided as the prices of retro handhelds were already higher than if you were to buy them from AliExpress. This will likely continue to be the case but without any of the tariff nonsense.

Besides that, something that you might not have realized is that you can actually buy devices on AliExpress that are shipped from the U.S. As pointed out by u/CrownPuff on Reddit, the “problem” with this is that you simply won’t have as many handhelds to choose from.

Best Buy is now stocking the AYANEO Pocket Air & 2S. Pricey, but cool to see these become more “mainstream”.

I miss my Pocket Air..must..stay..strong!

Pocket Air: https://t.co/redsG6sVWB

2S: https://t.co/7UEqvX7Obv

Kun/Next Lite: https://t.co/3sZ2n0m42D

(Aff links) pic.twitter.com/PKerHySWQ9

— RetroHandhelds.gg (@RetroHandhelds) January 28, 2025

And when it comes to buying devices from the “big names” like AYANEO or AYN, you’ll want to make sure to double-check the shipping options before clicking the Checkout button. Although we have been seeing more AYANEO handhelds land at Best Buy, we hope that trend continues and extends to other companies.

The last option that we can recommend is looking at the second-hand market through the likes of Facebook Marketplace or Mercari. However, the Retro Handhelds Discord would probably be an even better place to start, as it’s basically an online flea market of people looking to buy, sell, or trade their various handhelds and other devices. All you have to do is join the Discord and reach level 5, and then you’ll gain access to the RH Marketplace.

Editor’s Note: A portion of this article was written by Zu, but there’s no word whether it was actually Gary and Zu’s just trying to take credit again. 

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